“The poet is a pretender.
He pretends so completely,
that he even pretends that it is pain
the pain he really feels.”

O poeta é um fingidor.
Finge tão completamente
Que chega a fingir que é dor
A dor que deveras sente.
"Autopsicografia" ["Autopsychography"], in Presença, No. 36 (November 1932)
Fernando Pessoa's most translated poem.
Richard Zenith's translation:
The poet is a faker
Who's so good at his act
He even fakes the pain
Of pain he feels in fact.

Original

O poeta é um fingidor. Finge tão completamente Que chega a fingir que é dor A dor que deveras sente.

Fernando Pessoa, Autopsicografia; Publicado em 1 de Abril de 1931
Poemas e citações Ordenadas por Heterônimos
Variant: O poeta é um fingidor.
Finge tão completamente
Que chega a fingir que é dor
A dor que deveras sente.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 29, 2023. History

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Fernando Pessoa photo
Fernando Pessoa 288
Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, translator, publi… 1888–1935

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